NEW YORK - Sound Devices, a manufacturer of industry-leading portable digital audio recorders, is pleased to announce the release of Version 2.34 firmware for all 7-Series digital audio recorders including 702, 702T, 722 and 744T models. The upgrade, which is a free download for registered users, adds several new features that encompass the implementation of FLAC lossless data compression, MP2 and MP3 format recording and multi-unit linking enhancements. Version 2.34 Firmware was officially released at AES 2007.

“The 7-Series recorders have become the industry leader for high-end, portable recording,” says Jon Tatooles, managing director of Sound Devices. “With Version 2.34 Firmware, all four units in the series now offer greatly enhanced recording file storage through FLAC data compression and compatibility with industry standard MPEG formats. In short, Version 2.34 presents a 7-Series user with increased flexibility while preserving the uncompromising quality and serviceability expected from a Sound Devices product.”

The implementation of the FLAC (Free Lossless Audio - an open source format) allows for high-resolution recording using a fully recoverable — or lossless — data format. MPEG formats MP2 and MP3, while ubiquitous, are lossy codecs and the resulting decompression looses some audio quality. The MPEG formats do present, however, smaller files for increased storage capacity. The FLAC codec maintains bit-accurate PCM audio data and all Broadcast Wave and iXML metadata generated by the 7-Series recorders. FLAC effectively compresses files from 2:1 to 5:1, at the minimum, doubling the capacity of CompactFlash cards. The FLAC format is significant because it maintains the superior quality of the audio recorded by the 7-Series units.

For more information, visit the Sound Devices website, www.sounddevices.com.